To not be hungry...

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Two days ago, I was, for no reason I can put my finger on, just NOT HUNGRY all day. I wasn't sick; I just wasn't hungry. I don't think I've ever in my life before that day had a day where I wasn't sick but also wasn't just hungry all day. I kept thinking to myself all day, "this is what thin people must feel like." It was wonderful and terrible at the same time. It was wonderful because I felt great. I wasn't constantly thinking about food, and when I ate, I ate small portions and was satisfied. It was terrible, though, because I knew that it wouldn't last. I knew that I would go right back to constant hunger, and I was right. I'm still sticking to my eating plan, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hungry. The problem is that when I eat what I'm supposed to eat (even when I eat lots of veggies and fiber), I'm hungry again only a short time later. I wish there was a magic pill I could take to just make me not hungry. The last time I lost weight, I lost about 45lbs., and after being on a plateau for 4 months, I finally just gave up because I couldn't handle being hungry all day with no results. My biggest fear is that even if I lose all the weight I want to lose, I'm going to have to be hungry for the rest of my life to maintain it.

I completely relate to your blog and your fears. I have the same ones. I sometimes wonder if my brain just is not working quite the way it's supposed to and is not getting the "your full signal". Or maybe the signal is simply not sent. One time when I first started taking Prozac, it changed my eating. One time I sat down to a meal, ate half a sandwhich and at once realized that I felt full. That was a first and a real revelation. The thought that popped into my mind was: Oh that is what it feels like when you are full. Unfortunately that lasted for about a year and the side effect wore off. At this point I'm restricting calories and am losing weight, so of course I'm hungry at various times. However it does not relate so much to the type of food I eat but the time of day. I'm eating vegan except for dinner. But that is the time when I struggle, despite my dinners being rich in protein. Protein takes longer to digest and is supposed to keep you fuller. But it does not seem to work for me. Besides, I get adequate amounts of protein from my vegan meals according to the WHO, not SP however. I'm sorry I'm not providing any answers for you. If you find a solution please let me know. I'll do the same. Meanwhile hang on in there!!!

Thanks for all the great comments :)I actually do get plenty of protein. I watch that little protein monitor on SP and make sure I'm in the zone. I eat lots of beans, legumes, and dairy, so I get lots of protein that way. I'm going to try to switch to smaller, more frequent meals. I think the key to that is going to be prepping in advance so I'm not grabbing for something processed. :)

Here's how I avoid it: I eat something every 3 hours. And make sure your eating protein. I typically eat Kashi Go Lean with 2% milk for breakfast at around 6:30am. At 9:30am I have either a serving of cottage cheese or a cup of greek yogurt. At around 12:30 or 1pm I have a 300-400 calorie lunch. By 3:30 or 4pm I have either high fiber whole grain crackers or a high fiber snack bar. I eat a 400-500 calorie dinner. And I ususally have a sweet Skinny Cow ice cream cone for dessert.

Now - I battle with boredom. I'm not really hungry, but I want to eat - mostly because I'm bored. So I also drink a lot of green tea & I keep a sugarless gum available to chew on through out the day.

It's sometimes tough for vegetarians to get the protein they need. My sister has been a vegetarian for 20+ years and she doesn't always get the protein she needs. It's tough, but not impossible.

It takes a little trial & error to find out what will work for you. But don't give up! Soy Chips, soy nuts, hard boiled eggs, or a serving of legumes .. can all help fill the protein bill.

I can relate to your hunger issues. I have lost 46 pounds and kept it off for a year, but would like to lose more. Sometimes, I just feel so hungry, I have to eat. I find the closer I can stick to the plan, the less hungry I am. Going off, even a little bit, seems to make me hungrier!

I hear ya! I am ALWAYS hungry! But, I usually just plan my meals and snacks so I can stay within my calories and still eat every 3 hours or so...but, this morning, I cheated and had a raspberry chocolate chip muffin and guess what! It held me over and for the first time I wasn't starving at lunch time! Goes to show that higher calorie foods really do fill ya up!